Work Begins Monday on One of DFW’s Busiest Sections of Highway

PLANO (May 6, 2016) — Construction will begin Monday on a $37 million overhaul of the U.S. 75 (Central Expressway) interchange at President George Bush Turnpike (PGBT).

The project, led by San Antonio-based Zachry Construction Corp., will reconfigure the ramps and merges at U.S. 75 and Bush Turnpike, one of DFW’s busiest stretches of highway. The work includes an extension of the railroad bridge just north of PGBT, constructing new auxiliary lanes and rebuilding the Plano Parkway bridge spanning U.S. 75.

Zachry Construction, which did the 2002 construction of the High Five, will start on Monday with work along the southbound frontage road between 15th Street and Plano Parkway.

“Working together with our partners from the City of Plano, City of Richardson, DART and NTTA, we are confident that this project will ease the congestion in that area,” said Kelly Selman, chief TxDOT engineer of the Dallas District. “It will ultimately cut down on the need for motorists to navigate tight merges to enter and exit U.S. 75.”

Eventually, the existing retaining walls along U.S. 75 in the vicinity of Plano Parkway will be pushed back, allowing for construction of additional lanes to improve traffic flow between U.S. 75 and PGBT.

Along northbound U.S. 75, the additional lanes will allow for the existing traffic pattern to be reconfigured so that vehicles trying to exit onto 15th Street will not have to cross the path of traffic entering U.S. 75 from PGBT.

When the project is complete, northbound motorists on U.S. 75, wishing to get to 15th Street, will have to use the Plano Parkway exit, farther south. Eliminating the current exit and creating an entry-only onto U.S. 75 will ease traffic flow in that area, which now backs up with motorists trying to safely enter U.S. 75 from PGBT, while at the same time, others try exiting U.S. 75 to get to 15th Street.

On the southbound side, the existing ramp from 15th Street will be relocated farther north and a new braided ramp will be constructed allowing traffic to enter and exit U.S. 75 without having to merge with each other. With the braided ramp, the southbound U.S. 75 exit to Plano Parkway will weave under the southbound U.S. 75 on-ramp.

The project spans 1.3 miles, with an ultimate goal of eliminating the congestion that motorists encounter when transitioning between U.S. 75 and the Bush Turnpike. The work is expected to take more than two and a half years to complete.

About TxDOT

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is responsible for maintaining 80,000 miles of road and for supporting aviation, rail and public transportation across the state. TxDOT and its 11,000 employees are committed to working with others to provide safe and reliable transportation solutions for Texas by maintaining a safe system, addressing congestion, connecting Texas communities and being a Best in Class state agency. Find out more at txdot.gov.